The Abandoned City
SayedAhmad Sadat
A hope for a better tomorrow.
Forward
Everything started when the unity government was formed by Dr. Asraf Ghani and Dr, Abdullah. Both are Physicians who ran against one another for President. The election resulted in both men coming to power; one as President and the other in a Prime Minister role. The power struggles between them has meant that formation of cabinets, ministers and governors has lagged for more than a year. In the vacuum of this long delay in forming an effective government structure, Afghanistan’s economy, trade and citizen security have suffered devastating results. Most effected by security issues are the more remote Provinces and cities cut off from security and vulnerable to the Taliban.
Old enemies along the Pakistan border have shut down trade routes and closed TorKham Border. The Taliban have attacked commercial vehicles and oil tankers, further destabilizing the economy and commerce.
Citizens of Kunduz Province were escaping to north of Afghanistan, some of them were killed by Taliban on that way, but many remained under control of the Taliban. The Afghan flag was removed and replaced by the white flag of the Taliban as a symbol of their control of these isolated citizens. The Governor and Commander fled Kunduz further symbolizing the weakness of the government to establish stability and peace.
The Unity government has been able to maintain some control in areas in the northern and western provinces of Afghanistan. Kabul and some neighboring provinces are held by the government, but Kunduz, Ghoor and Helmand are under control of Taliban.
Cruelty to the people is the hallmark of the Taliban in Kunduz. Taliban troops have forced marriage with young girls of the region and defeat the spirit and freedom of young men to do anything to stop this trend.
THE ABANDON CITY
Forced Engagement:
Our troubles began early one morning when our door was abruptly pushed open. I awoke with a start. It was my father who appeared looking worried and wearing new clothes and a sash on his shoulder.
He frantically called to me: “Seyamak, Oh Seyamak, wake up now! People will be here soon,’ father said. Okay, dear father, I will come soon,’ I answered.
As abruptly as he arrived, father closed the door and was gone again. I rushed to wash my face. As I opened the door, I saw many old and young men gathered outside in our yard. There were hushed discussions, but I could not hear what all the commotion and gathering was about.
I went to my Mother’s room, but behind her door I heard whispering between my Mother and my sister, Rokhsar. I listened still trying to determine what was happening at our home on this strange morning.
“My Dear Daughter, what if you might accept him?
“I cannot!! He is at age of my father!”
“Dear daughter please do it.”
My sister is crying. “I can’t Mom. He is old. He is fat. His hair is awful. His beard is horrible”
“Dear daughter you must accept this, otherwise he will kill your father.
“Mom, do you mean, I must do sacrifice myself!”
“Daughter, do it for your family, we have no choice. They will kill your father.”
“Mom, we must escape. We can do it. Let’s run away!”.
Dear daughter, we can’t escape, everything is here!” If you just accept this man, there won’t be a problem.
Rokhsar let out a haunting moan as she considered her fate.
“Mom, if there is no choice, then go and tell them I am ready for this fate to save my family.”
Hearing of this situation, I hurried to the yard and saw Mullah Qadir who was the spiritual leader at our village mosque.
Mullah was situated on a high stone that gave him a high position to address the many old and young men gathered to hear him speak. Mullah very kindly man who now called everyone to gather around.
“As we all know why we are here, we are gathering to propose a ceremony, so we must honestly make well of this situation.” I am the mullah of your mosque and want to tell you all that Taliban soldier Gull Khan wants Salam’s daughter, and therefore we are here to discuss this proposal.”
While Mullah was speaking, I saw that my sister was looking out from the window. I turned my gaze to my father. He was looking down very sadly and resigned to the fate of his daughter. What was he thinking, why would he agree to this? I could not understand.
Mullah called to my father and asked;
“According to Islam order, I must ask you few questions, that all these people be witness. So are you ready?”
Father said: “yes Mullah Sir, I’m ready.”
Mullah; “does your daughter accepted him? “
When mullah asked this, my father hesitated with a silence lasting long seconds.
Mullah asked again; “Salam, Does your daughter accept him? Mullah pointed to Gull Khan. During this exchange I looked at Gull Khan, and saw him pointing to my father and shaking his head up and down, indicating that he must say YES!
After a few agonizing moments, my father answered,
“Yes Mullah Sir. She accepts him.”
Mullah said: “Kaka Salam. Do you agree with this acceptation or engagement?”
Father said: yes Mullah Sir.
Then Mullah addressed the crowd of men and boys: “I as first witness and Mullah of your village do now ask you all, do you all witness at this engagement?
Everyone answered: “yes, we are witnesses.”
Mullah asked again: “Are you all sure? Yes, they answered, they were sure.
After their witnessing, Mullah stood up and read the witness letter that each must sign.
Mullah started reading the witness letter…
“We all as witnesses acknowledge, this engagement is in accord with Islam’s order and we are witnesses to it. We are witnesses that Groom’s father and bride’s father both accepted this engagement”.
Mullah then called for the signatures of the witnesses…
After the recording, lunch was made ready and everyone ate together there.
Gull Khan, was looking very happy with himself as he invited the guests to have more food and to enjoy themselves.
My father called to me from the tree on the side of our house. He had a plate of rice and asked me to take it to my sister. I went to my sister and when I entered her room she quickly hid something. I pretended not to see this and did not ask her about what it was.
Her eyes read and tearful, although her hands were shaking she took the plate of rice and put it on the table.
She closed the curtains and began to speak to me.
“Dear Seyamak, do you see them?
Yes, I said, I see them all.
Seyamak, sister said, “Don’t you think, they are killers?”
I was so much younger than she and I didn’t know it was a forced engagement, and I really didn’t even know the meaning of engagement at all. Forced marriage and engagement were things I could not even understand nor was I able to answer her question.
Although I had no answer, I asked her to explain the question she asked of me. She looked at me and said: “come here and see them.
When I looked out on the yard I saw there was happiness, the boys and girls were dancing and the big man with his awful hair was sitting on a chair in front of my sister room.
I still remember that my sister told me of all the negative things she felt for this man; his age, his long unmanly hair, his beard and his fat belly.
When I looked again at Gull Khan, I saw his yellow teeth and a face that looks clearly dangerous and frightening. My sister turned and sat to eat her food, but I was looking outside of room. After few minutes, I have seen that she is crying while eating.
The engagement ceremony passed with happiness for Gull Khan and he paid the costs of this ceremony and feast because we were poor. Everyone finally left our home slowly and slowly.
The unknown moment:
It was 5 o’clock in the afternoon. The sky was dusty and the wind blowing softly. I was playing football in the yard.
Over of the tree my mom was trying to settle matters of engagement ceremony. There was a kind of ominous silence in the air.
My mom, was collecting the mattresses and pillows. She looked tired and her hands were unable to hold up and carry the mattress. She dropped to the ground and tried to sit there.
She turned her face and looked to me, calling loudly:
“Seyamak.”
When I heard her voice I tried to act as if I did not hear her.
She very kindly said again:
“Seyamak. Dear Seyamak. “
After twice of her shouting then I finally answered her.
“Yes, Mom? She looked to me very unhopefully and said;
“Go, tell your sister, help me with these mattresses.
While she was waiting for my sister, I went to Rokhsar’s room. Without knocking I entered to her room. Her room was empty and there was an opened box left by my sister.
I hurried to my mother. We both searched for her, but unfortunately she was gone.
After few minutes, we all Gull Khan, cousins and my father gathered to find her together but all our attempts were not successful, because she had disappeared.
On the next day, early in the morning, my father awaked me and we both went to work on the side of street. Although I did not like to go work because I wanted to study and become a teacher, but I had to clean the apples that surely helped my father.
Although we were sad, that my father couldn’t forget his daughter, we had to go to work. Father looks very tired and sad. He had concern for his daughter, but on that day our customers were many and we were busy. It seemed that God sent them to make my father and ease his sorrow.
After six 6 hours of work I became very hungry and tried to tell my father, but he knew I would be hungry by now and said to me: “My son, what would you like to eat?”
I said: “I would like to eat Bolanyi.
“My son!!! You want that on such a hot day?”
“Yes father. That is what I want.”
“Okay son, you sit right here and I will go and ask Najeeb to bring this to you”
Najeeb was our neighbor in the village and he sells apples too on other side of street. My father gave him money and sent him for Bolanyi.
It was a hot Tuesday in early May. The sky was blue in the high noon. I was cleaning the apples to put them in the sale basket. I suddenly heard a loud explosion. The earth shook spilling the apples on the ground.
When I looked behind us, toward the Police checkpoint a big yellow big car was burning.
There were more noises, shouting and crying. Someone are sitting down on the ground by their dead family members and weeping.
There were dead bodies everywhere; boys, girls, men and women littered the ground in pools of blood. When we go to nearer to the scene, I saw a man who had fallen down on the ground and his body was shaking as he had only upper half of his body. His legs had blown away.
I screamed so loudly and my father tried to quiet and comfort me. When I looked over the shoulder of my father, I saw one of the dead was our neighbor Najeeb, who had gone to get us some food. Now everyone was running to escape. We carried Najeeb to his home. When we reached there the sounds of crying and shouting of his children and wife filled his entire house.
I was told to go and fetch the Mullah. I was crying, when an old man with a cane patted my head as I passed by. “Son, go on to the Mosque and bring the Mullah quickly.”
I continued to the Mosque and after few minutes, I reached the door.
When I opened the door, I saw there were many who were sitting and a group of Taliban standing around them. Gull Khan was among the Taliban group.
A leader of Taliban group was lecturing those villagers seated on the floor. It was Taliban propaganda and invitation to join their cause. I stayed quietly in the doorway and could hear them. One of spokesmen had a long beard and turban said they were there to bring peace and to teach them how to use Halal things.
In fact they were there to create a Madrasa for your children. They promised to stop all depravity and prostitution.
At this moment one of the Taliban came from behind me to go into the mosque and saw me hiding there. He grabbed my ear and pushed me inside of the mosque, he pushed me toward Gull Khan.
Gull Khan were very fat and big. He tried to hit me but the leader with the long beard and Turban who was very strong grabbed Gull Khan’s arm as he sought to strike me.
The Leader called me to him.
I was afraid and frozen in my place. He called to me once again to come to him. Although I was afraid, I moved slowly to his side. When I reached him, At least he hugged me, very kindly and said…
“My son tell me, why were you hiding in the doorway?”
When he hugged me, I thought he was kind. I told him that I had been sent to bring the Mullah to our village as there had been an explosion and many deaths in the city.
Faizgull, the leader said, “Were you also told to stay and hear the lecture?”
No, I said. I was only told to bring the Mullah quickly.
“So, son why were you hiding in the shadows listening to the lecture?”
I told him I became frightened when I saw Gull Khan. But I had come to get the Mullah for there was dead of our neighbor, Najeeb.
When leader of the Taliban heard about Najeed, he decided to hold the funeral ceremony. We all hurried and reached the house.
After the special ceremony and mourning, Faiz Gull himself put Najeeb in the cemetery.
Abusing:
I heard the sounds of my Mother’s voice and thought she was having bad dreams but soon I realized there was a struggle and a fight going on. My Mother was crying, “Don’t do this, leave me alone” A man’s voice was saying, “stop talking, be silent”.
When I went to the sound, I saw my mom and Gull Khan who sat in facing each other in another room.
Her head was bare without veil but he didn’t have a shirt on. He had only under shirt. I saw that his turban was at side of room not on his head.
After few minutes looking at them, I asked of them: “What is the matter here?”
Gull Khan replied, “Nothing is wrong, your mother refuses to wash my shirt is all”
Although I was only 12, everything did not seem right with his explanation, so I ask again.
“Mother why are you crying? Gull Khan answered not letting my mother respond.
Gull khan said: You are not listening? I told you, nothing is wrong”
He stood up and hit me and grabbed my neck to choke me. I thought I would die in that moment, but my mother cried out to forbid him to hurt me.
He said: “If you say anything to your husband, then you will say good bye to your husband too. I will kill him. As you know it is easy for me. He pointed to my mom and said; just be silent. Then he left us. I saw the terror in my mother’s eyes.
He had used drugs on our food every night without our knowing and then would take my mother into Rokhsar’s room and rape her.
His cruelty controlled our home. He took my mom in to Rokhsar’s room every night after my father fell into drug infused sleep from the drugged food.
One night, I did not eat so that I might learn what was going on.
It was Thursday night. I went to my bed before all, but I was awake. After few minutes, I heard that my father said loudly …
Father; Jamila o Jamila.
Mom; yes, I’m coming
Father; please wash and scarf and cap because I need it tomorrow early morning for pray.
Mom; okay I wash it now.
Father; so, I will go to sleep now. When you finish come back soon.
Mom; ok I will.
After a few minutes, I heard a voice in the yard where mom was washing the cap and scarf.
I saw, that Gull khan is there next to my mother and he grabbed her in the yard and my mom tried to escape, but he was too strong for her. He dragged her into Rokhsar’s room.
I heard something that changed me forever and made me a man. Although I was only 12, I decided to do something to rescue my mom from his cruelty.
I decided to kill him. I could not sleep that night. I thought all the night to find a way to kill him. It was plan, that when he take her to the room to be raped by him, I will let him enter the room and few seconds later, while he tries to take off his shirt, I will kill him. That first night passed, and in the morning we went to work as usual. It was not a good day.
After eight hours of work we got back home and our dinner was ready, Gull khan was there too. But I didn’t eat the food, because I knew that it is poisoned
We all gathered around the food to have dinner. I ate only watermelon. During dinner someone called to Gull Khan. While talking with this person, his face lightened with some happy news he was hearing.
When he finished the call, he left our home without saying anything about the happy news he had just received. He talked briefly with my father.
Gull khan said, “okay, dear uncle I must go to Ghoor. There is something I need to do.”
Father answered, “What is the matter? Can I help?”
Gull khan said “no,” he did not need help from my father. He left immediately after a brief farewell to us.
My plan to kill him is delayed. He has gone now to Ghoor Province.
Days That Followed
Once Gull Khan left here, my mom became herself again. I was watching TV, and suddenly breaking news appeared in subtitles. The announcer said a young girl was stoned to death by the Taliban in Ghoor province.
When the face appeared on the screen, it was my own dear sister, who the Taliban were stoning. There were many men with that womanly long hair, with big bellies. They were stoning my own sister.
My sister Rokhsar, was crying out as I watched in horror. While crying, her voice rang out in her agony: “No, don’t hit me don’t. Allah! At the end of the broadcast, they showed her body, limp and bruised and black where the stones had smashed her small frame and perfect skin. She was rendered lifeless.
My mother was watching all of this and collapsed in her own agony. My father
Knelt down by her side but could not comfort her.
In a few hours the sound of gunfire rang out and we knew it was RPG guns and war had come to our neighborhood.
In the early morning and everywhere were our national police, who had come from north of Afghanistan to help us fight.
Their war continued for three days. Our national soldiers attacked the Taliban from ground and air by helicopters. There were dead Taliban all over the streets and roads. After this three days war, we got Rokhsar’s body delivered to us by our National police.
Our city became quiet. The gunfire stopped. But our house has been more silent than the city. Without my sister, only silence prevails.
Her Funeral ceremony had been held by the national army. After a few hours of the mourning, they helped to take Rokhsar to the cemetery and buried her. We all said our sad goodbye to her.
I only wish that none of this happened and that we were not standing there in good bye to her.
The end
